Dongguan Hsu Fu Chi Strawberry Sandwich Cookie

I, too, can only understand Strawberry Sandwich Cookie.
That and 50% of something

The Attraction:
Knowing I had an upcoming holiday week ahead of me, I searched desperately to find a snack that I would hope I would like while I was home hibernating for the next few days. Last week I found myself at the Asian grocer again when I came across this. Look how delicious those strawberries look in the lower-right-hand corner. Even at that, it didn't really jump out at me, but it's OK. Like closing time at a bar, sometimes you don't get exactly what you are looking for, but what looks good enough for that moment. Hello, Ms. Strawberry Sandwich Cookie...

I'm hoping that says "Yummy stuff inside"

The Review
The Nestle company recently bought a majority share of the Dongguan Hsu Fu Chi, which in China, is the 2nd largest snack company next to Mars. I didn't know all that before picking up a package, but it did seem to give it some "street cred" after finding that out. Nestle has got to know a good thing when they see it, right? Let's find out...

Upon opening up the package, I find that there were single individually-wrapped servings within the packaging tray. Not unusual and it usually works out pretty well if a company is trying to maintain freshness in it's product. Next, I tear open the single serving wrapper and it reveals something that looks very similar to the famed Pineapple cakes from Taiwan; a crumbly shortbread exterior. For those uninitiated, think of a shortbread outside on a Fig Newton, but encased on all sides. Hmm...I'm not crazy about those pineapple cakes, but who knows if they taste the same?

 I finally dig in; the texture of the outer layer is the same of that of a pineapple cake. It's a drier and denser shortbread that yields to the thick strawberry gel inside. My suspicions were right, this is exactly a pineapple cake, but with a strawberry filling. Yay?

"What's up, shorty?"

The Sweet:
If you are a fan of Pineapple Cakes, but want to venture into different flavors, welcome to your Nirvana! The Hsu Fu Chi Company does a great job of recreating all the signature components of a Pineapple Cake; crumbly, dry shortbread on the outside and fruit-flavored filling on the inside.

The Bitter:
You have to like pineapple cakes or at least like shortbread. Although I recognize that I'm not a good person to review a product like this since it's so similar to another product I don't like, I do see how fans of these types of snacks could enjoy this. Just not "moi", as the folks at Nestle might say.

It does look rather like a Fig Newton, doesn't it?

Conclusion:
For me, shortbread is good on it's own. When you throw in a fruit jelly of some sort, in theory, one might think that would counter the dryness of the shortbread, but for me, this item just reminds me how dry it is....and I hate really dry sweet snacks.

Somehow, this makes me appreciate Fig Newtons even more. They use a moister exterior and wisely only encase the fig filling on two sides. Dang, now I want a Fig Newton....and if you are like me, maybe you should get one too instead of this product.

Update: Maybe I like these more than I thought. I polished off half the box already!

Video of the Week
In case you were wondering what to get me this year. I won't hold it against you if it's a little late.

Someone pinch me